THERE’S A TROUBLING FACT you might not be aware of: Americans leave 500 million perfectly good vacation days unused every year. Do your part to help end this plight — don’t waste even a single one of your precious days off sitting at home or (gasp) at work, when you could be spending it in a place like Costa Rica.   But when you come, you don’t have to hit the same spots as everyone else. Here are some roads less traveled in Costa Rica that deserve more attention.   1. Montezuma   Photo: Shutterstock/NK Montezuma used to be nothing more than a tiny fishing village, but those days are long gone. Its beaches now play host to a hippie/boho scene, made up of both locals and foreigners.   The town’s location on the southeastern cusp of the Nicoya Peninsula means finding your way here is half the fun. You can get to Jacó by bus, and from there it’s an hour-long water taxi ride straight to Montezuma beach (the boat actually leaves from Herradura, just north of Jacó). You can also make the two-hour drive from San José to Puntarenas and its ferry terminal, from where you catch the ferry to Paquera. Once in Paquera, drive another hour through Tambor beach, Cobano, and then finally on a gravel road to Montezuma. (Yes, there’s also a pretty cheap 25-minute flight from San Jose to Tambor, but that’s copping out on adventure.)   Montezuma is bordered by several miles of rugged coastline and puts on some pretty epic nightlife — the fun certainly doesn’t end after you stow your surfboard for the day. Just outside of town there’s a gorgeous 80ft waterfall with excellent swimming holes, and natural hot springs are also nearby. The only problem with Montezuma is coming down from the high long enough to see what else Costa Rica has to offer.   2. San Gerardo de Dota   With nearly 1,000 miles of coastline touching two oceans, Costa Rica understandably draws a lot of people looking to take advantage of its beaches and waves. But not everyone heads to Costa Rica to surf. San Gerardo de Dota, for instance, situated in the Savegre River Valley of the Talamanca Cordillera, is all about birdwatching. While its south-central location provides easy access to Los Quetzales National Park, heavy tourism hasn’t quite caught up.   Almost 200 bird species have been identified in the misty forests of this region — including a variety of hummingbirds, woodpeckers, and tanagers — but the indisputable star of the place is the resplendent quetzal, which hangs out in the San Gerardo de Dota area year-round.   From luxury villas to simple mountain lodges, most accommodations here offer some pretty Instagram-worthy views of green rolling hills and fruit plantations. And if you wind up in San Gerardo de Dota and aren’t into birds, there’s always trout fishing on the Rio Savegre, tours of the nearby coffee plantation, or trips to Naranjo waterfalls.   3. Chirripó National Park   Photo: Visit Costa Rica   Besides the challenge of ascending Chirripó, there are numerous trail systems that wind through more ecological zones than you’ll find in the entirety of most countries. Climb from pastures near San Gerardo de Rivas (don’t miss the hot springs there, just a 15-minute walk north of the ranger station) to rainforest, to forests of ancient oaks that tower over 150 feet, to the tundra ecosystem near the peak… All of this rich diversity keeps armies of biologists busy for a lifetime.   The summit climb is 11 miles with nearly 10,000 feet of elevation gain, but there’s a refugio a half kilometer from the top where you can spend the night and start your descent the next morning. Camping is not allowed, and you’ll need to make a reservation at the refugio through the park system. While Easter and certain weekends in the dry season can get crowded, at any other time of year you shouldn’t see many other tourists.   4. Turrialba and the Pacuare   There’s no better way to take in the grandeur of the mountains, canyons, and waterfalls of the Rio Pacuare than by raft. The river is ranked by National Geographic as one of the top 10 for whitewater rafting in the world, and there are tour operators and sections of the river to accommodate every ability level. While you may be a little busy managing the rapids, you’ll likely catch glimpses of numerous birds and monkeys along the way.   If rafting isn’t your thing, the nearby town of Turrialba is still a great spot to post up for a while. It’s also the place to arrange a tour of the ruins at Guayabo. This is one of Costa Rica’s only pre-Columbian site that’s open to the public, and can give you an impression of what life must have been like here circa 1000 BC to 1400 AD.   Note: Volcán Turrialba erupted in October, 2014, so for the moment Turrialba Volcano National Park is closed. Its Jurassic Park-like slopes can still be admired from a safe distance, though.   5. Manzanillo  

A green and black poison dart frog (Dendrobates auratus). Photo: Visit Costa RicaFor those really looking to get off the beaten track, the village of Manzanillo will definitely suffice. The small town marks the end of the road that runs south along Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, and that road was only paved for the first time in 2003.

  But who needs to stop there? There’s a solid 10 miles of unspoiled coastline between the end of the road and the border with Panama. For a real adventure, hire a local guide to take you beyond the village and along the shore into Gandoca Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge. A half-day round-trip hike will get you to lovely Punta Mona.   Further southeast and deep in the reserve, you can also check out the village of Gandoca, which is reached from the main inland highway via 4×4 or boat. This little town holds tightly to its Afro-Caribbean culture. While you won’t come across any fancy boutique hotels, you will find friendly Costa Ricans throwing the occasional party at the local bar, and new friends who may invite you to snorkel or kayak. It’s the kind of under-the-radar trip that will give you a new understanding of the Tico spirit and its pura vida.   This post is provided by Visit Costa Rica and produced by them, in partnership with https://matadornetwork.com/.

  The newly elected President of Costa Rica, Mr. Rodrigo Chaves Robles, has chosen William Rodríguez as the country’s new Tourism Minister, replacing Gustavo Alvarado as head of the department. As well as becoming Costa Rica’s new Tourism Minister, Rodríguez will also be head of the Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT) from now on.   Rodríguez, 71, is well known in both the public and private national tourism sectors, where he has worked for more than 49 years holding a variety of positions. These include being the general manager of the Aurola Holiday Inn in San Jose; country manager of United Airlines in Costa Rica and Guatemala, and being marketing director at ICT (Costa Rica Tourism Board). Together with tourism, the new minister has experience in international relations, business and economics. He holds a degree in Political Science and a Master’s degree in Business Administration and Marketing.   Rodríguez mentioned that his main priority at the moment is to completely reactivate international tourism and to achieve the same visitor figures as in 2019, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. In this regard, he said: “Destinations around the world are saying that they will be meeting the 2019 visitor arrival figures in 2024 or 2025. However, our aim is that Costa Rica gets full back on track sometime in 2023.” For this reason, air connectivity with the UK and Europe are amongst Rodríguez’s main priorities.   Getting repeat visitors to Costa Rica is also key for the new Tourism Minister, who claimed that Costa Ricans are the best asset to achieve that. “Visitors come to Costa Rica because of the wildlife, nature, adventure and wellness; but we know they return because of the warmth and friendliness of the locals, who are always willing to give visitors a hand.” The average length of a holiday in Costa Rica increased from 12.6 to 13.6 days before the pandemic.

  Costa Rica is ready and waiting for visitors - and with travel restrictions being some of the simplest to get your head around, there is nothing getting in the way of you and the holiday of your dreams.   The latest news sees Costa Rica being the star of Kew Gardens’ current orchid festival; Arenal Volcano recognised as the best destination for outdoor enthusiasts; Costa Rica and the Galapagos creating a new underwater conservation zone; and traditional “cimarrona” folk music being awarded cultural recognition.   LATEST NEWS   Celebrate Costa Rica at Kew Garden’s annual orchid festival (until 6 March 2022)   Kew Gardens’ annual orchid festival has returned for the first time in two years with stunning horticultural displays and vibrant installations celebrating the varied landscape of Costa Rica. Monkeys, sea turtles, toads, hummingbirds and the native quetzal bird – all hand-crafted from plants –decorate Kew’s glasshouse, bringing the country’s incredible biodiversity to life. The central display in the glasshouse pond, a highlight of the festival, will be filled with vibrant orange and yellow orchids to represent a rising sun. Costa Rica’s national flower, Guarianthe skinneri, will be also on display in its vibrant pink glory.   Home to 6.5% of the world’s biodiversity, Costa Rica is a role model for the conservation of biodiversity, with around a quarter of its land part of a protected forest or reserve – as recently recognised by the first Earthshot Prize.   Kew Gardens has many collaborative scientific projects located in Costa Rica, which include constructing a ‘family tree’ for all of its orchid species to learn how to better protect them, and documenting plants in La Amistad Biosphere Reserve - one of the richest places on Earth for plant diversity.   The Costa Rica inspired orchid festival can be viewed in the Princess of Wales conservatory until Sunday 6 March, and is included as part of ticket entry with timed slots.   https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/kew-orchid-festival   Arenal Volcano National Park recognised as the best National Park in the world   Arenal Volcano National Park was recently voted the best National Park in the world in Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards for 2022, in the category of “best destinations for outdoor enthusiasts.” It was victorious over 24 other destinations and was the only Latin American destination to appear in the category. One of Costa Rica’s top hiking destinations, Arenal Volcano National Park offers a range of trails that wind through wildlife-rich rainforest and old lava flows, all anchored by one of the world’s most active volcanoes.   Costa Rica was further recognised as one of the “best destinations for sun seekers,” with La Fortuna de San Carlos, nearby Arenal Volcano, appearing in 20^th place. Manuel Antonio, one of the country’s most iconic beaches, was also placed within the 22 best beaches of 2022, with praise for its shiny black sand, calm waves and exotic wildlife.   Traditional Costa Rican “cimarrona” folk music awarded cultural recognition   The traditional folk music of the “cimarrona” has just been declared as intangible cultural heritage of Costa Rica, which will go towards preserving and continuing this historic part of the country’s heritage. A “cimarrona” is a small band of amateur musicians characterised by being made up only of wind and percussion instruments such as clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, bugle, trombone, baritone, tuba, snare drum, bass drum and cymbals.   The history of the “cimarronas” dates back to the 20^th century where they first emerged from many different towns, influenced by the military bands of the late 19^th century. Traditionally, they are known for their presence at community festivities and celebrations. Now, their status as intangible heritage will ensure that people continue to train in the art and gain support in doing so.   Costa Rica and the Galapagos to create an underwater “ocean highway”   A new conservation zone is set to be created between Costa Rica’s Cocos Islands and the new Galapagos Marine Reserve, which will connect the two marine UNESCO World Heritage Sites with the aim of helping essential animal conservation. This migratory route is used by millions of sea turtles and rays, as well as critically endangered hammerhead sharks and whale sharks. In the long-term, the plan is to create an ‘Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor’ that also connects Ecuador, Colombia and Panam - as the country leaders agreed to during the COP26 summit in Glasgow 2021. The hope is for this measure to protect the ocean for generations to come.   Located 550 km off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, Cocos Island is one of the country’s most beautiful, remote and mysterious places, filled with a dense, tropical rainforest – the only island in the tropical eastern Pacific with a tropical rainforest. The island’s waters have become very popular for divers, who rate it as one of the best places in the world. Cocos Island is home to 600 species of marine mollusks, 300 species of fish and 32 species of coral, nine of which are found in the deep waters.   Costa Rica appoints new Tourism Minister   Gustavo Alvarado was recently appointed as Costa Rica’s new Tourism Minister, following the resignation of Guastavo Segura in December 2021. The new minister will seek to continue efforts to support the gradual recovery of the travel industry with measures such as building strong airline connections with Costa Rica’s main markets, including Europe.   Alvarado holds a master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Costa Rica and another in Political Studies with an emphasis on Latin America from Javeriana University in Colombia, while also a PhD student in Public Management and Business Sciences at the Central American Institute of Public Administration. He previously worked as the Presidency’s Deputy Minister during the 2011-2014 administration and has served on several departments within the Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT) since 2007.

  Bordered on the east by the Caribbean Sea and on the west by the Pacific Ocean, Costa Rica offers adventure, relaxation, romance and exploration. With an abundance of unique wildlife, landscapes and climates the country proudly shelters approximately five percent of the existing biodiversity in the world, with protected areas comprising 26 percent of its land mass. From mountain ranges and rain forests to active volcanoes and cloud forests to breath-taking beaches, Costa Rica’s diversity of landscapes, climates and natural wonders provides visitors with unlimited experiences.   Take the Pura Vida University course and learn why Costa Rica is one of the happiest and positive countries in the world.